2008 Resolutions

突然间心血来潮，想以华语来作开场白，发表我2008年的目标。

老实的说，回想起2007 年，2007对我来说不是很好。尤其是健康和感情。前者做手术都做了两趟，后者是因为2006年尾爱情失败；2007年根本就是疗伤年。呜呜！

好的是我成功地把悲哀和伤痛变成力量，重新在2007年寻回自己。虽然2007年内所达到的目标才那寥寥两三个，但总觉得还是有成功感和欣然（自我安慰）哈哈！

不完成到的项目我就不想再探讨了，倒是想记录一下自己在2007年的成就吧。嘻嘻！

1) Joined a gym in July 07 and enjoy ("addicted" to be more precise) workout very much ever since. Successful in reducing my weight from a peak of 80kg in 2006 to 72kg by Dec 07. Of course, I felt and still feeling good about myself, especially when i see my own reflection on the mirrors and window display glasses as when i walked passed them. Ha ha!

2) I learnt a new language in 2007 - Japanese language. Nihon go benkyo shimasu.

3) I picked up readings again in 2007, which I did little when i was in a relationship in 2005/2006. Some of the favorite books that I read in 2007 were "I am Muslim", "Confession of An Old Boy","行地平线II“ and "The Golden Compass". My all time favorite magazine remains to "National Geographic" and the new one added into my list in 2007 is ""Off The Edge"

4) Following to the path of some of my friends, I started my Blog during end 2007. Although what i wrote is kind of boring (as what my friends have commented) (Gee, thank you for being so frank, guys!); but hey, I managed to challenge myself to go for a dive in an unfamiliar sea and I have not drown from the dip or given up. How can I not consider it as a progress, even though it seemed like a small step out of my comfort zone. He he!

总体来说，2007 的成绩还挺不错吧。好了，我2008 的 RESOLUTION 将会是什么呢？请看看以下吧！

Key Resolutions
I want to look bulkier physically / muscular in 2008. Aim to maintain my exercising regularly (minimum 4 times per week), as long as I am not travelling for work.

On work wise, I hope to upgrade / updating my working skills by reading more business books, especially on topics related to consulting, sales and marketing. I hope this will help getting myself prepared for any new job opportunities in 2008/2009.

Further to my Japanese lessons that I took in 2007, I want to sit for the JLPT test in Singapore on Dec 08 and aim to pass the examination.

I will definitely continue to read more books (minimum 5 books - fiction and/or non fiction, excluding the business readings above) and write more articles in my Blog.

Optional resolutions (More like a wish list):
I hope to join Malaysian Nature Society and be active in nature conservation and appreciation programs again.

If financially permissible, I will buy a SLR Digital Camera and learn about photography seriously.

In addition to all the above, Just wonder if I have more room, time and resources to appreciate and learn more about Arts - like paintings and violin playing (Hmm.. hope I am not too old to become a late starter for the latter)

That's all, Folks!

Blood is dripping out from my heart

Oh! Malaysia,
Oh! My beloved country...
Oh no, no longer,
She is now Once a beloved of mine
Not true, because I still care so much of her and love her deeply

Such love became so lethal lately,
And my heart is in excruciating pain,
It is as if my heart is being chipped by knife, bit by bit, day by day,
It is as if poison is being filled into my vein, minute by minute, second by second,
It is as if my body is constantly being whipped with despair and disappointment;
And I feel my vital organs are failing,
My soul has became petrified.

But why my sense of love and caring to her still maintain?
Perhaps I still haven't forgotten that she once cradled me to sleep in her warm embrace, under her warm shelter,
I still remember that she once fed me with fruits of happiness and great wines of joy,
I still can recall that she gave me hope and meaning of life,
And she thought me how to love and care,
I can not ignore the fact that she brought me up to become a man from a child, standing tall and proud,
She was then a good mother of her children...

Now, she has changed,
She has turned ugly, prejudice, senile, unjust, extreme and unbearable.

Without her realising, the institution which she has submitted her trust and life over 50 years ago is in fact was poisoning her mind and soul since then.

Over these years, she has been fed with venomous thoughts,
Venomous thoughts that taught her to favor certain children of hers over the others; whom all she once loved unconditionally and without prejudice;

And over these years, she has been made belief and felt forever grateful that her life depends on the few men who runs the institution,

In all these years, without her awareness, her mind has been corrupted by the institution with the ideas of the adoption of authoritarian power, injustice, act of intimidation and support of a iron-fist but incompetent governance system; deceiving her that those were the key to her survival and to her best interest in long term.

She, without her realising that the same institution who freed her from captivity 50 years ago is actually making her a new prison since.

The evil seeds that the institution sowed over the years have finally germinated now and became so bluntly apparent and unchallenged,
And these men who runs the institution are taking away her conscience, her health, her wealth and her future; as well as her children's.

Now, she has reached to such a state that...

• Violent towards peace is okay , in the name of preserving peace / national security.



• Corruption is okay.



• Cheating in the elections is okay.



• Abuse of power and authority is okay.



• Wastage of public funds is okay.



• Denying fundamental rights is okay.



• Using the mainstream media to lie is okay.



• Threatening people in the context of religion and color is okay.



• Persecution is okay.



• Detention without trial is okay.



• Assaulting detainees under police custody is okay.

Just do not insult her and / or the institution or the use of violence to oppose this is okay.

I am bleeding in my heart to see such evil has taken over her during my living years and I felt helpless to help her.

Where is the place that I once considered a heaven on earth?

Utterly DISGUSTED

I am utterly disgusted with what the Barisan Nasional did on 11.12.07. The country's political scene is really in a sorry state. The white parliament house, which once stood majestically and a proudly as symbol of democracy of this multiracial nation is now so tainted with so much ugliness and poisons of politicians of the ruling party. Shameful!

Sigh...

• Chairman of the Elections Commission needs to be extended another year when he retires at the end of this year.
• Only he can ensure that the ruling party retains control of Parliament and the State Assemblies with a clear two-thirds majority.
• The postal votes system can’t be abolished, the Chairman replied indignantly, because that would be the only way to ensure that none of the cabinet ministers get kicked out of office.
• And when asked is not the role of the Elections Commission to conduct free and fair elections, he replied, with maximum arrogance, that the role of the Elections Commission is to ensure that the Malays will not lose political domination.
• And as to why the campaign period is so short instead of a minimum of 21 days, he told the BERSIH (Coalition for Fair and Clean Election)delegation that he does not have the authority to extend the campaign period and if they are not happy with that then go see the Agong and ask the Agong to make the changes.
• So, BERSIH took its case to the Agong on 10 November 2007.
• The government is worried. Umno has accused BERSIH of ‘dragging’ the Agong into politics.
• But the Agong is aware that it was the Chairman of the Elections Commission who was the one who brushed off BERSIH and told them to go see His Majesty.
• And now the Chairman’s tenure of office is about to expire in three weeks time. Will the Agong consent to extending his tenure another year so that he can rig the 12th General Elections and make sure that the ruling party wins, yet again, hands down? This is an unknown factor.
• The Agong has already rejected the extension of the tenure of the Chief Justice, another crook. Chances are the Agong will also reject the extension of the crooked Elections Commission Chairman as well.
• So they need to bypass the Agong.
• They need to amend the law so that the tenure of the Elections Commission Chairman can be extended without the need to seek the consent of the Agong.
• And they will do this on Tuesday, 11 December 2007. On Tuesday, Parliament will pass a law allowing the government to extend the tenure of the Elections Commission Chairman another year beyond retirement age. This will therefore make the Agong irrelevant.
• The Agong’s consent will not be required. The Agong can now be bypassed.

• 11 December 2007
  KUALA LUMPUR: Police dispersed Bersih (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections) supporters who defied a restraining order to gather at Parliament House, arresting nearly 30 people.


• The Bersih supporters had gathered at Parliament House to submit a memorandum protesting Constitutional amendments that proposed extending the Election Commission chairman and members' retirement age from 65 to 66.


• Federal Reserve Unit police personnel were stationed outside roads leading to Parliament House, and several roadblocks were also placed on all roads leading into the city this morning.
  Later Tuesday, i.e. 11.12.07, the Dewan Rakyat unanimously passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill which allows a year's extension to the retirement age of the EC chairman and members.


• The amendment was passed through BLOCK VOTING, in which 189 MPs from the Barisan Nasional cast their votes during the second and third reading of the bill.


• Earlier, 16 Opposition party members walked out of the House to protest the amendment and the arrests made on Parliament grounds

Harapkan Pagar, Pagar Makan Padi

To fellow Malaysians, we understand the Malay proverb of "Harapkan Pagar, Pagar Makan Padi" . It literally means when one "Hopes The Fence (Fence is an inanimte object and deemed to be reliable...) To Guard The Rice Field, The Fence Eats The Rice Instead"

I relates the above to the incident that CK, my housemate experienced last night (11.12.07 Malaysian time) with the Traffic Police.

Here goes...

CK was on his way back home from work from Johor Bahru. He was stucked in a traffic jam which he later discovered that it was due to faulty traffic lights. Followed the rest of the other road users, he crossed the road junction where the faulty traffic light is.

As soon as he drove pass the junction, he was asked to pulled over by a traffic police. All the other cars which passed in front of him were let go.

After stopping his car at the road side, CK asked the Policeman, "Apa Hal, tuan pengawai?" [What's the matter, officer?]
The policeman replied, "Encik tadi lintas jalan bila lampu isyarat masih merah" "Sila bagi lesen, saya kena bagi saman dan saman bagi kesalahan melintas jalan semasa lampu isyarat masih merah adalah RM300. Rayuan tak akan diterima. Encik boleh bayar saman di balai police yang terdekat" [Just now, you crossed the road when the traffic light is still red. Please show me your driving license and i will write you a traffic compound. The compound for the offense of crossing the road when the light is red is RM300. No appeal will be entertained. You can pay the compound at the police station nearest to you]

While giving his driving license to the policeman, CK protested, "Lampu isyarat itu rosak, tuan" "Kereta-kereta di depan saya ni pun lalu jugak. Kenapa saya pulak ditahan dan disaman?" [Officer, the traffic light is faulty. All the other cars in front of me also drove passed it. Why am I the only one being stopped and given the compound?]

Now, displeased with CK's protest, the policeman raised his tone and said, "Saya nampak dengan mata saya, kamu ni lintas jalan semasa lampu isyarat merah!" [I see with my own eyes, you drove passed the road when the light is still red!]

By now, there were cars building up on the road again.

"Memang betul, lampu isyarat tu rosak. Lampunya hanya merah saja, tak tukar ke lampu hijau langsung" [It is true, the traffic light is not working. It keeps lighting in red, and never turn to green], my housemate was now equally displeased by the policeman disbelief of his words. "Tuan boleh pergi tengok" [Officer, you can go and check it out yourself]

Now, the policeman is really agitated because he knew that my housemate will not succumb to his charge, or to put it correctly, his accusation. This signalled his hope to get some "incentive" from my housemate is not going to be easy.

"Tak, saya nampak kamu langgar undang-undang, saman ni RM300 and rayuan tak dilayan" [No, I saw you break the law. This compound will cost you RM300 and no appeal]

Fortunately, at this time, a car drove up from behind and stopped where the police was and said aloud, "Tuan police, lampu isyarat belakang rosaklah! Saya boleh jadi saksi" [Police Officer, the traffic light at the back is not working! I witness to it]

This car driver, Mr Justice still holding his car in the middle of the road, continued, "Tuan boleh pergi tengok" [You can have a look at it by yourself] and he remain stationary at where he has halted his car.

Now, the policeman realised that he has no choice but to investigate about the traffic light.

Still holding to my housemate's driving license, the policeman reluctantly walked towards the faulty traffic light to confirm the situation by himself. He came back to my housemate later and handed him back his driving license without an apology.

CK said then, "Betulkah lampu isyarat rosak, tuan? Saya sudah memandu lebih daripada 10 tahun, saya bolah kata saya ni tak pernah langgar undang-undang lalulintas" [Officer, isn't it true that the traffic light is faulty? I have been driving for more than 10 years and I can say I never break the traffic laws]

Mixed with embarassment, the policeman was furious and shouted, "Kamu ni Berlagak betul" [You are snobbish indeed] and left CK.

CK quickly thanked Mr Justice and they exchanged mobile numbers before each drove away and left the scene.

Lying

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it" - Adolf Hitler

"Those in possession of absolute power can not only prophesy and make their prophecies come true, but they can also lie and make their lies come true." - Eric Hoffer
"People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to" - Malcolm Muggeridge
"It is easier to believe a lie that one has heard a thousand times than to believe a fact that no one has heard before" - Author Unknown

"Lying is done with words and also with silence." - Adrienne Rich
"I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you" - Friedrich Nietzsche

"Public safety over public freedom... I will not sacrifice my sense of accountability to the greater public, especially in the face of police intelligence about planned fighting or other violent intent. " - You know who

When a policeman is hurt and a car is smashed, that is violence...I cannot dispute that. When peaceful gatherers were brutally suppressed (via physically or pcychologically intimidation) by the gahmen's forces, but being claimed as an act of discipline and safeguarding public safety...I wonder.. Why Violence has to be defined differently?

Protests was seen as Opposition parties Americanised Malaysia's politics. So, what does one call about the fear tactics, threats, intimidation and misinformation practised by the gahmen and its action forces?

Where is the Hadhari and where is the implementation of justice, fairness, freedom that gahmen professes under the Hadhari principles?

Note:
Islam Hadhari (Arabic الإسلام الحضاري) or "Civilizational Islam" is a theory of government based on the principles of Islam as derived from the Qur'an. It was originally founded by Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1957 (but under a different name), and is now being promoted by the current Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. It consists of 10 fundamental principles:

1. Faith and piety in Allah
2. Just and trustworthy government
3. Freedom and independence to the people
4. Mastery of knowledge
5. Balanced and comprehensive economic development
6. Good quality of life for all
7. Protection of the rights of minority groups and women
8. Cultural and moral integrity
9. Protection of the environment
10. A strong defence policy

Sentimental

今天（星期一）觉得有点滥情。可能是雨天的关系吧。也可能是今早接到了已久没联系的他致来的电话吧，泛起了一些陈年往事。心情觉得有点沉重，无味。人，总是会被某些心情所困，偶尔难免会惋惜当年。残留下来的感觉总是还存在，无可否认。

就让过去成为过去吧，让它编织成我们人生成长中的一段有意义的记忆。深信每个人都应有各自的道路，我们只能期望各自的选择是对的，也只能前往，已不能后退了。

Malaysia after 50 years of independence

An Article that quite summarise the whole situation in Malaysia after 50 years of independence. I was once so proud of being a Malaysian. Now, my sense of belonging is dwindling...

Some said, "We should not hang our dirty laundry openly. There are avenues to where our voices can be heard. Malaysian are gentle people and violence is not our vocabulary"

I would raise my hand and ask, "What and where are these channels? Do we really have any access to them?" If these channels really exist, obviously the public is not aware of them.

Secondly, "Channels to listen does not means action for rectification and improvement" So, listening without action equates to mere hearing. Not good enough.

Thirdly, I agree that Malaysian does not like violence and Malaysians are amongst the people in the world with the highest threshold in tolerance in many sensitive issues. This makes this country unique and allows the country time to progress at its own pace.

However, recent events had demonstrated the Brutality and Violence of the ruling authority against peaceful pledge for justice, fairness and equality. The threshold of Malaysians are obviously being challenged now, by the same party who supposed to lead the people and country to a better future.

The country has been given 50 years to evolve for betterment but many Malaysians knew by now that the country is not progressing fast enough and Malaysians are really frustrated. Yet the ruling authority refuses to acknowledge such sluggishness and continues to hold on to what they believe is right for themselves (rather for the people). It is like an Ostrich burrowing its head into the ground.





Malaysia's Identity Crisis
Revathi Masoosai should be the perfect embodiment of Malaysia. Her ethnic Indian parents were both born in the ancient port of Malacca in 1957, the very year the colony of Malaya gained independence from the British. Her father was Christian, her mother came from a Hindu family, but they both officially converted to Islam, the religion practiced by Malaysia's majority Malays. Yet Revathi does not feel welcome in her ethnically and religiously diverse homeland. According to Malaysian law, Muslims can only marry other Muslims. Revathi, who was actually raised in the Hindu faith, had fallen in love with a Hindu man. But because of her parents' earlier conversion, she was deemed a Muslim and a judge refused to change her religious status. Revathi's marriage was never recognized by the state, nor was her daughter's birth. Earlier this year, an Islamic Shari'a court ordered her to spend six months at a Faith Rehabilitation Center, where she had to wear a Muslim headscarf and pray five times a day. "The constitution says there's freedom of religion in Malaysia, but I have not felt that freedom," says the 30-year-old homemaker. "How can they force me to believe something I do not believe? What has happened to my country?"

Malaysia commemorated 50 years of independence this past summer, but the celebratory pageantry masked an underlying identity crisis. In many ways, the country is a success story, the very model of a modern Asian nation. Buoyed by oil revenue, capital Kuala Lumpur bristles with skyscrapers and industrial parks, while a massive administrative capital called Putrajaya has risen from what were palm-oil plantations two decades ago. In September, Malaysia's first astronaut blasted into space, his flight mirroring the nation's ambitions. Poverty has been reduced from half the population at independence to just 5% today, as an affirmative-action policy created a prosperous Malay middle class that had never before existed. In Asia, only the nations of Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Brunei rank higher than Malaysia in the U.N.'s Human Development Index. Most impressively, while other multiethnic nations like Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka and Rwanda fractured into conflict, Malaysia has largely kept peace between groups that include Muslim Malays (about 50%); Buddhist and Christian Chinese (roughly 25%); Hindu, Sikh and Muslim Indians (less than 10%); and indigenous peoples, who abide by many faiths including animism (around 10%). "Our biggest achievement is that we have not only survived but we have progressed and thrived," Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told TIME in a written statement in August.

Yet for all these accomplishments, Malaysia is suffering from midlife anxiety. Increasingly, the nation's diverse ethnicities live in parallel universes, all Malaysians, yes, but seldom coming together as they once did for meals or classroom discussions. Religion, too, has divided the nation, as some Malaysians assert that a conservative strain of Islam is causing a segment of the faith's worshippers to withdraw from a multicultural society. Malaysia's economy is being challenged by regional competitors, with many questioning the future of the affirmative-action scheme that has served as the country's financial bedrock. At the same time, a nation that once prided itself on its robust institutions is finding these foundations eroding. Little wonder, then, that up to a million Malaysians, mostly the white-collar talent needed to keep the economy humming, have simply abandoned the country since independence; by the government's own estimate, 70,000 Malaysians, the majority ethnic Chinese, have renounced their citizenship over the past two decades, although far more have emigrated without officially giving up their nationality. Many local companies are leaving, too, investing so much offshore that as much money now leaves Malaysia as is attracted to it. "There's no question we accomplished a lot over the past 50 years," says Ramon Navaratnam, president of the Malaysia office of Transparency International, the corruption watchdog. "But if we don't face up to [our] problems, we will not be able to sustain the same level of success over the next 50 years."


Minority Report
The man who must minister to Malaysia's malaise is Abdullah. When he was handpicked for power four years ago by longtime Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah was dismissed as a political lightweight. But Abdullah surprised even his harshest critics. He vowed to combat corruption, liberalize the press and restore the reputation of a judiciary whose independence had been repeatedly questioned during the latter part of Mahathir's 22-year rule. To underscore Malaysia's commitment to economic efficiency, Abdullah initially scaled back several of Mahathir's prestige megaprojects, including a money-losing national auto company and a massive dam in Borneo. The son of a moderate Muslim cleric also brought a measure of spiritual authority to the ruling coalition, which had been fighting the rise of an Islamic-based political party that attracted Malay votes even as it alienated non-Malays. "The important thing is that everyone's rights are protected," Abdullah told TIME. "Malaysia is the country that it has become because of the contributions of all the different races and people that populate the country."

But honeymoons don't last forever. Abdullah will almost certainly win re-election in polls expected early next year, because of the well-oiled political machine of the governing National Front, which has dominated the country since independence. Yet the 68-year-old PM's tenure is dogged by the same ills — alleged graft, inefficiency, ethnic and religious rivalry — that he had promised to combat. Questions about Abdullah's leadership came to the fore earlier this year when his deputy, Najib Razak, stunned the country by defining Malaysia as an Islamic state, going so far as to say the country had never been secular. (The nation's constitution is unclear about the issue, stating both that Islam is the religion of the federation and that freedom of religion is guaranteed.) Abdullah told TIME, "We are not a secular state, but neither are we a theocracy." But such hedging seems unlikely to satisfy all constituencies. Liow Tiong Lai, the head of the youth wing of the Malaysian Chinese Association, part of the usually cohesive National Front coalition, asserted that Malaysia was indeed a secular nation. Bernard Giluk Dompok, a minister in Abdullah's Cabinet who is Christian, concurs. "If we define Malaysia as an Islamic state," he told TIME, "the implication is that non-Muslims do not belong."

Abdullah points out that the ruling coalition is composed of parties representing various ethnic communities. "We have adopted a power-sharing formula for over 50 years now, so every community gets a seat at the table when it comes to governing the country," he told TIME. "Everyone participates, and everyone's voice is heard." Many non-Malays don't agree — and their sense of alienation starts early. Government primary schools that used to be essentially secular now feature Islamic prayer halls. Today, only 6% of Chinese parents send their children to such schools, while in the 1970s more than half did. Chinese students have a much harder time securing places in Malaysia's public universities because of quotas, so those with sufficient funds head overseas. Many do not return. Those who do find workplaces are increasingly divided along ethnic lines. "[In the 1970s] there was a bar at Parliament, and we would all socialize together," recalls Lim Kit Siang, the Chinese head of the opposition Democratic Action Party, who has served off and on in Parliament since 1969. "Now, everything is separate, and non-Malays feel like second-class citizens in their own country." Many ethnic Indians, whose economic gains have lagged behind those of Malaysia's other communities, feel the same way. On Nov. 25, thousands gathered under the shadow of Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers, the world's tallest twin buildings, for a rare protest to call attention to what they believe is an unwillingness by the government to address the root causes of their marginalization. The demonstrators were dispersed by tear gas; the day before, three rally organizers had been arrested on sedition charges, but were later given a conditional discharge.


A Gap in Wealth
If Malaysia's races are separating, it is partly because of the legacy of the New Economic Policy (NEP), an ethnically based affirmative-action plan instituted in 1971 to create opportunities for the economically disadvantaged Malays. During colonial times, Chinese traders were favored by the ruling British, and they controlled much of the economy upon independence. Malays and indigenous peoples — collectively known as bumiputras, or "sons of the soil" — wanted to redress that economic imbalance. The NEP, which offers preferential treatment to bumiputras in everything from education to politics, has lifted millions of Malays into the middle class. But some analysts argue that the NEP has outlived its usefulness and has been hijacked by a Malay ruling élite that uses the race-based policy to secure sweetheart deals for themselves while leaving poor Malays in the dust. Indeed, the World Bank estimates that despite Malaysia's impressive $10,000 per capita annual income, the country is burdened with the largest income disparity in all of Southeast Asia. "The Malays are being let down by their own people," says Transparency International's Navaratnam, "because the rich are getting richer while the poor are staying the same."

Leading the political charge against the NEP is a Malay, former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In 1999, Anwar was jailed for six years on sodomy and corruption charges that human-rights activists characterized as politically motivated. Now he has emerged as de facto leader of the opposition People's Justice Party, which is campaigning to dismantle the race-based NEP and replace it with a class-based scheme that would, say, help poor Indians while preventing rich Malays from taking handouts they don't need. Anwar blames the NEP both for breeding corruption and decreasing competitiveness, since many lucrative state contracts are reserved for bumiputra companies. "Globalization does not treat kindly people who feel as though they must be protected because of injustices from colonial times," says Anwar. "If we don't want to be displaced by an up-and-coming country like Vietnam, we must play by the rules of the global game."

Local rules need to be followed, too, if Malaysia is to continue attracting foreign investment. In September, two Shari'a court officials were detained over corruption charges. In the same month, 1,000 lawyers and activists, including the country's Bar Council president, took to the streets to highlight what they consider deteriorating judicial independence and integrity. Their protest was galvanized by a video clip that appeared to show a well-known lawyer helping fix top bench appointments. (The government says it will set up a royal commission to investigate the video.) "I used to be proud to say I was a Malaysian lawyer," says Karpal Singh, a prominent human-rights lawyer. "But now? The system is getting worse."

Indeed, the courts may actually be exacerbating Malaysia's divisions. Revathi's case is only one of several that have challenged the complicated legal system set up by Malaysia's founding fathers. The country employs a dual-track structure in which Muslims are bound by an Islamic Shari'a court on issues such as family law, while non-Muslims are governed by civil courts. For many years, overlapping issues, as in the case of intermarriage, were quietly negotiated by both courts. But now, Shari'a courts are increasingly refusing to accept conversions out of Islam, arguing that apostasy is illegal in the Muslim faith. At the same time, civil courts have become less willing to rule on religious issues they say are the domain of the Muslim legal system. In a landmark case earlier this year, the nation's highest court decided that it had no jurisdiction to deem a person non-Muslim, because that is the Shari'a courts' prerogative.

The mainstream press has avoided the topic because of a government directive ordering media to maintain "peace and harmony" by blacking out debate over Islam's role in the state. The censorship disappoints journalists who were pleased when Abdullah initially allowed for more freedom of expression than predecessor Mahathir. In October, Malaysia received its worst-ever ranking in the worldwide press-freedom index compiled by watchdog Reporters Without Borders, falling by 32 places to No. 124. The drop was due, in part, to two separate cases in which a blogger and a publisher of an online newspaper were both pulled in for official questioning. "There's lots of intimidation toward people who speak out," says Steven Gan, editor of the online publication Malaysiakini. "Instead of saying, we're all Malaysians who need to unite and equip ourselves against our competitors in a globalized world, the government is pursuing divisive politics and making the media the scapegoat."


Back to the Future
Malaysiakini has continued its aggressive coverage. The online paper has been particularly influential in investigating massive cost overruns in the building of a free-trade zone at Port Klang, not far from Kuala Lumpur. The latest official figures show that the project has ballooned to about $1.4 billion, more than double what was projected in 1999. Critics contend that graft has plagued the project, undercutting Abdullah's much-vaunted anticorruption drive. "Thus far, Abdullah's promises to curb corruption remain just that: promises," says Ramasamy Palanisamy, a former professor of politics at the National University of Malaysia. At the same time, the PM, who once earned plaudits for cutting back Mahathir's excesses, has signed off on several megaprojects, including a reinstatement of the controversial dam in Borneo.

Concerns about corruption could strengthen the political opposition. The Islamic Party of Malaysia gained control of two of Malaysia's 13 states in 1999 after convincing voters that fighting graft was a fundamental Muslim virtue. The party lost power in one of those states three years ago but is predicting a rebound in next year's polls. Anwar's party is optimistic, too, and has been campaigning on a clean-government platform. Realistically, neither opposition party is strong enough to challenge the ruling coalition. But even a few lost seats would be an embarrassment to a governing élite that has controlled the nation since independence.

Under the rule of the National Front, Malaysia has come a long way. Looking back at the past 50 years, Deputy Prime Minister Najib, himself tipped as a possible future leader of Malaysia, told TIME: "We have arrived. It has been an era of transformation in more than one sense: physical, social, economic." But if the next half-century is to be as uplifting, Malaysia will have to heal the divisions that are now all too evident in its society.

— with reporting by Baradan Kuppusamy/Kuala Lumpur

Rain rain go away, unless you can wash away the bad elements

While rain brings good tidings to some at some parts of the world. But to the people at Johor, it is not quite so; especially to those who stayed around Kota Tinggi and low lands of Johor. The rainy season marks the start of "rain"phobia. Johor has joined the northern states of Kelantan and Trengganu as the flood-prone areas of Malaysia.

2006, the worst ever flood hit Johor - many people were displaced from their homes, crops were destroyed and many businesses suffered great looses. Those who daily shuttle / driving to work at Pasir Gudang were not spared from misery.

My memory still can recalled the bad experience of getting stuck in a traffic jam for 6 hours, as when the Pasir Gudang "so-called" highway was closed due to flooding, after continuous downpour. As the traffic eased a little, it took me another painstaking an hour just to move from the spot where I was stuck to make a u turn, which is 200m away, to head back home.

Now, here comes the rain again. According to the meteorological department, there will be heavy downpours starting from 5.12.07 with intermittent heavy showers. Everyone is on an alert and worry when it rains. I am afraid that I am one of the worrying souls.

On the 5.12.07, the God was kind to me. I manage to leave the office on time and reached my gym at Permas Jaya in 45 minutes, which normally takes only 20 minutes if the traffic is smooth. Not bad considering there were some minor floods along the Taman Rinting stretch of Pasir Gudang "so-called" highway.

However, not on today, 7.12.07 Friday.

The downpour during late afternoon and earlier this evening was really heavy. I tried to leave my office as soon as my conference call to UK ended. The time was 6.30pm and supposedly had a movie appointment with my friends.

As soon as I drove out of Jalan Tembaga toward the "so-called" highway, I saw a long traffic queueing up from the junction joining to the "so-called" highway, all the way to the traffic lights where I made the right turn. So, I was left with little options but return to my office, and cancel my movie appointment with my friends.

Bad LUCK.... Bad Timing...

No, it is not Bad Luck entirely... Partly, this is due to poor town planning of the town planner, developers and the maha tuan-tuan tanah. Of course, to make things worse, these maha tuan-tuan tanah do not seem to understand the meaning of preventive actions and progressive improvements.

It is most ironic that the same group of people who adopt the attitude of leaving things "Naturally" (i.e. being ignorant) will blame the Nature itself when it hits and turns against them; blaming the Almighty for not blessing enough. Despite the evidents of their incompetency and irresponsibility are apparent, more than often, they tactically manage (through misinformation) to turn them as an action of fate and keep pretending that all people are blinds and stupid.

If they could see and learn.
The "so-called" highway only comes with 2 lanes with bad drainage system and it is the only way in and out of Pasir Gudang Industrial Area and Johor port. All these despite of growing businesses, increasing economical activity, traffic and population growth at Pasir Gudang industrial park and Johor port.

Secondly, poor road maintenance. It appears that these maha tuan-tuan tanah only "show" their concerns when General Election is coming, which otherwise seemed please and content with the idea that the road users should endure the inconvenience and sufferings of bad road condition. Perhaps, these maha tuan-tuan tanah enjoy to marvel the "natural" ability of the highway to transform from 2 lanes into 1 lane trunk road during heavy downpour. Perhaps, to them, it is a natural part and puzzle of life that commoners should waste energy (which is money) and time (which is money too) on traffic jams while the higher end people - the maha tuan-tuan tanah enjoy a hassle free life, due to their perceived entitlement.

Aiya...shameful to these shameless maha tuan-tuan tanah. I think there must a public law to force these maha tuan-tuan tanah, whom some carries the title of People Representative, to visit the Rakyat, stay with the Rakyat and "meronda" at the designated area on monthly basis; so to ensure they understand and keep updating their understandings and relevance of the living conditions of the Rakyat, whom they represent.

Singapore, a country who achieve Independence later than us, but long become a developed nation compared to Malaysia is our closest neighbor; whose transportation & road system can be set as benchmark for Johor. However, these maha tuan-tuan tanah fail to learn and only like to compare with the countries that are in poorer state than Malaysia.

Instead of learning from the closest neighbor and cheaper too (due to close vicinity), these tuan-tuan tanah preferred spending thousands of taxpayers money just to send some senior civil servants to cities like Shanghai to learn about town planning...and of all we know, Shanghai is not the best city choice for city / town planning...

Aiya...Headache.

Optical Illusions

Amazing!

Optical Illusion 1:
1) Concentrate onto the 4 dots in the middle of the picture for about 30 seconds
2) Then, turn away and look onto a smooth, single colored wall / surface
3) Blinks your eyes and you will see images of a Christian figure

Optical Illusion 2:
Can the top join the bottom without bending the slabs?

Optical Illusion 3:
Where do these grey dots that are located in between the black squares come from?

Optical Illusion 4:
Are the two horizontal lines look perfectly straight and not bending?

Optical Illusion 5:
Focus onto the dot in the middle, move your head towards and away from the dot. Do you see the outer and inner rings are spiralling?

Optical Illusion 6:

My favorite. Rotating discs as when you move your focus from one spot to another

From Beowulf to Part 1 of His Dark Materials - the Golden Compass

I made myself a point to finish reading the novel version (not the original poem) of Beowulf before I watch the movie. It proved to be a wise move as the movie was fast-paced and left out many gaps. Although the book also tells a simple story but at least it tells the whole story... more wholesomely.

I really marvel at those men who live during those middle ages (in the case, men in Beowulf's era). Life was so simple. The ultimate goal and life path of a Great man is to be a hero, only die for glory, honor and in battle... and of course, bed with every woman that they like in sight... so raw, so basic, so primitive and erotic. As for the women folks, as expected, their sole role is to entertain, to serve the men and do the household chores.

In short, Beowulf 2007 is not the best CG movie to my opinion. However, rather entertaining and enlightening...especially with all the violence and erotic scenes that you hardly get to see on PG movie acted by real humans.

Oh, there is one thing that puzzle me in the movie..How come the merewife (Grendel's Mother) wear high heels?

The best part I like about the movie is its soundtrack - Beowulf The Main Title and the A Hero Comes Home. these songs seem to be bale to evoke a man's ego and make me feel proud to be a man. Ha ha

When the story of Beowulf ends, another one unfold....The Golden Compass

I am reading the book - Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, now. The Golden Compass is Part 1 of the 3. I have to say I really enjoy reading it as the English written is simple but not childish (unlike Narnia...OMG!) and I really engage myself into the world of Lyra...So, lets Lyra's adventure envelopes and intoxicates me. "Lyra, comes to me!"

P/s: I hope I can finish reading this story before seeing the Movie, which will be shown on cinema at Malaysia on 6.12.07. (Note: I finished reading The Golden Compass on 5.12.07, 8pm. What a great story!)

By the way, here I present my daemon - Artemidoris, to you? Isn't she beautiful?

Fellow Malalysian Indians have also done it...Where are the Chinese and what will they do to support the shift?

Indians have made history on the 25.11.07. How about the Chinese? What means will the Chinese use to show support to the change for a better and fairer governance system? Is there going to be one in the first place, one may wonder? Will they keep silent like a backstage operator, as ever before, or are they more concern to take this opportunity to sell more raincoats, umbrellas and towels?

Personally, I think the idea of my fellow brothers and sisters, including those of our forefathers that "Business comes first; and with the grip of business, then come others" is no longer sustainable in the long run. In a multiracial society like Malaysia, there ought to be a balance and we ought to take a bigger interest in politics. Without our greater presence in politics, we will be deprived of a fair and good education for our children. Without the same, our survival, business and all other things will be tougher to come by.

This is the country where our forefathers came and grown their roots. This is the same country where we (at least most of us, i think) will cover ourselves with its earth when we die or the place where we spread our ashes after cremated. We definitely want to have a share of voice. not just a share, a significant and effective share of voice in this country of what is best for us now as well as for our children in the future; growing along side with the other communities that made up Malaysia. Please remeber, we are living on the future of our children. We are shaping the future.

Do you think our current share of voice is loud, significant and effective enough? No, I dont think so.

It is sad to hear some said that if things got worse, then move to another country. It is like solving a problem not stemmed from its roots. In fact, such ideology is selfish and irresponsible.

Needless to say, if we do not want to be treated like a second class citizen or immigrant race, we should not behave as one, but participate.

We need all the unity to make a country a better place for everyone, regardless of race and religion. We should fight to get rid off the bad apples or the bad apples will infected even the good ones and the whole apple tree will eventually die.

兄弟姐妹们, please stand up!

Hmmm....Who should we turn to?

It has been a long time since I read any Malaysia's mainstream newspapers. I just became so sick, sad and tired about how they speak for the Ruling parties and totally ignorant on what matters to Malaysia and Malaysians.

Instead, these media just serve the interest of the few corrupted, selfish politicians. The media are being "puppetted" to help these twisted beings to convey their biased, racist propaganda; making belief that their opinion represents the national interest, which is of course far from the truth.

Through these newspapers, the "high people" of the ruling parties always play the good guys. On the other hand, the opposition is always being labelled as the ultimate evil who try to destabilise this "peaceful" society. (Note: I have to admit that some politicians of the opposition parties in Malaysia are bollocks too)

Via the media, the idiotic ones to become elites, monkeys become supreme beings and the pillars of corruption can transformed into altar of the sacred temples. In short, as long as you are connected and get down dirty and play along with these "high people", the guilty can become the innocent as a newborn baby and the devils can be prophesied to be Saints and to be worshiped upon.

Fortunately, there are alternative sources of news. With these alternative channels, I am able to see Malaysia in a different light. With these alternative inputs, I know my country better, I understand my fellow Muslims and Islam better and I generally able to understand this complex society better. I am able to receive, share views, discuss and debate healthily with people of different background, race and faith; in rational and civilised ways with fellow Malaysian citizens who feel and care about the well being of this country, its society and its people.

It is scary indeed to see how Malaysia, a once proud and prominent developing nation is regressing by the day now. How imaginable and terrible is the extreme thought that Malaysia will one day, fails to be reinvented under the current governance and ultimately lead to death of a nation.

How pity to see how deprived are the general public to realities and how are they blinded by the politicians with deceit and lies. These folks knew so little about their country, their government and the countrymen they've voted to be represent to be their voices. So little did they know that these countrymen who are supposed to protect their interest are actually the ones who rob their interests in the broad daylight.

How little they know that the noble "country" plans, which were devised to eradicate poverty amongst the poorer folks and to narrow the wealth gap between ethnic group; was actually now a money spinner and an evil political vehicle for the "high people" to sustain their own family's (as well as cronies') wealth and power. Driven by greed, these "high people" seem never regret and ashamed of telling lies, despite their portrayal of such (fake) nobility in the media and holiness in their religion. Worst, they are blaming other ethnic group for marginalising their folks' rights for the 9th time since the country achieved independence. Little did the folks aware that the money and the wealth actually went, and continuously going to the very FEW designated brothers and sisters of their own kind. And year after year, these brothers and sisters of theirs will ask for more but only to and for themselves and little spare to the folks.

Well, enough is enough...Malaysian should exercise their very rights to vote in this coming general election and vote wisely. Malaysia needs an overhaul.

I am sure fellow Malaysian do not want to see their country run by mobsters, with "high peoples" heading the gangs like king pins. The voices of Malaysians need to be heard, the people need be empowered again for the goodness of this nation , for now and for the future. Do not let bloody irresponsible individuals sealed the fate and lead the nation to oblivion.

Enough of disappointment from the "gahmen" that is made up of greed, incompetence and dictators. Enough of shamefulness from the "gahmen" rampant with corruption, injustice and ruled by the tactics of fear, threats, extremism and inequality.

The harmonious society of Malaysia is in urgent need to be restored from this dividing society by color and faith; to be rescued from this society of losing tolerance, becoming more ignorant and progressively Taliban-like .